Confessions from UC Berkeley and Overheard at UC Berkeley are two Facebook pages which aggregate a large amount of UC Berkeley students and community members into a shared online space. The platform has gained traction in recent years and generates views and activity from a large portion of the UC Berkeley community on a daily basis. 

Amid the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor — just to name a few — it has never been more clear that the need for justice, change and protection for Black people not only in this country, but at UC Berkeley and its concurrent communities. To date, UC Berkeley is the worst university in California for black students. Per a 2018 USC Study, UC Berkeley had the lowest "equity index score" of all the schools in the UC system studied in the report. 

If you are part of these two online pages, you have likely witnessed the anti-Black sentiment which has come to a disgusting fever pitch over the past week. It is part of a larger systemic issue in the UC Berkeley community. Overheard in particular has allowed a platform for anti-Black sentiment, and openly and freely permitted the gaslighting of Black students and promotion of anti-Black content in the name of "discourse." 

Black students and Black community members are not responsible for ameliorating this issue, moreover, they are not responsible for engaging with anti-Black members of the page or educating anybody as to why the content is anti-Black: because it blatantly is. Looking specifically to the example of the "Pac Lives Matter" post rightfully and vitally shared by Ms. Kyra Abrams on June 4, 2020, several page members proceeded to invalidate and diminish the effect of that statement on Black students and community members, while claiming it had nothing to do with "Black Lives Matter." Additionally, Overheard has silenced posts from Black members of the community, including ASUC AAVP and former ASUC Senator Nicole Anwanyu as recently as June 3, 2020, while allowing anti-Black content to be shared by non-Black members of the community, and also while allowing non-Black people to share content about Black Lives Matter. Meanwhile, the page silences Black people — and particularly Black womxn. 

Today I contacted the admins of the pages via Facebook. A message back read that: "We are currently in the process of mod discussion to determine how to move forward in making the page an equitable space that allows for inclusivity, discussion, safety, expression, and overall satisfaction for our members." The message additionally stated:"  If you have suggestions or specific examples on how we can improve the page please feel free to message us further. Rest assured, the mod team stands firm with victims of police brutality, the African American community on campus and off, and will continue to voice our support for the Black Lives Matter movement, along with doing our best to honor the memory of George Floyd."

Well, I do have some comments and suggestions. I am creating this petition to demand the pages to: 
1) Not post anti-Black content and immediately remove all anti-Black content which has been shared

2) Not allow fake accounts through and prevent fake accounts from joining the page, which have specifically been targeting Black womxn in recent days under false identities to prevent accountability and being outed for their anti-Blackness 

3) Starting a campaign to retain more Black moderators for both pages and continue a sustained Black presence in leadership roles of both pages 

4) Create a direct communication line through the Overheard page and reporting line to share incidences of racism and anti-Blackness on both pages 

We must do better as non-Black community members to support, uplift, and protect the Black people in our shared spaces, not only at UC Berkeley, but in the online spaces we occupy. This is NEVER any acceptable time to openly and freely permit anti-Blackness, and Overheard and Confessions must stop this from continuing today. 

Sign this petition and stand with Black members of these online communities now. 

Black Lives Matter. 

Also, today is Breonna Taylor's birthday. Breonna was an award-winning EMT and model citizen from Louisville, Kentucky. She worked at two hospitals as an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. Breonna was senselessly murdered in her own home. Breonna Taylor should be here today. 
Please support her family and her cause as we reflect on the great person she was and is: https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor

Support Breonna's family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor

Support action items for Breonna: https://msha.ke/30flirtyfilm/#top-picks

Say her name: Breonna Taylor.

In solidarity, 

Hanna Lykke 
UC Berkeley, Class of 2021